FINALLY an update from the mighty Deutshland!!!

Gutentag!!!! Hello my friends and family,

So word has it you all want a blog post :) To be honest, I thought I was too tired tonight BUT I have just eaten a half a bag of Haribo lollies (for those who know what these are: yeah that's right, I said HARIBO) and am now on a sugar high so very happy to write you all a long rambling blog post to sufficiently make you wonder why you wanted it in the first place :D

So let's start from the beginning... I left on Friday the 24th of September and yet I feel like I have been here in Germany for months.  I really do love Germany so much; the people, the history, the buildings, the food and most of all, speaking the language - it brings me such joy.  Though I'd be lying if I didn't say I thought of NZ and all you wonderful people every day :)  Missing you all here and wishing I could have stuffed you all in my suitcase somehow.

I'm going to write this blog with a few tips of mine along the way in hopes that one day you will all travel and have first-hand advice :)

Anyhow...the flights, let's skip past them quickly, like ripping a bandaid.  Emirates were BRILLIANT. Definitely up there with AirNZ for my fave airline.  The food was just superb! Couldn’t even fault the chicken (and with most airlines you can always fault the chicken), movie and tv selection was pretty good (but probably only 'pretty' good because I was searching out the limited movies available in german for some last minute practice) and the staff were so helpful and very multi-lingual.  One of the main staff even came up to me and especially welcomed me on the flight as he knew I was travelling a really long way on the same plane/airline. Transfers were disastrous and I didn't sleep the whole way from Christchurch to Sydney to Bangkok to Dubai to Munich.  I did however, meet some truly lovely and interesting people who helped me out with the all too frequent problems I had...and yes Sarah, there were some pretty intense 'judged hard' moments going on.

Arrived at Munich to see my gorgeous host sister (from last time I was in Munich) holding a bunch of flowers, a box of chocolates and balling her eyes out! Instantly I wasn't tired anymore, the jetlag temporarily disappeared and the happiness of finally seeing my host family after so long made me so happy beyond description!

I've already seen a lot of Munich so to be honest, I devoted a huge proportion of my time in Munich just having fun with Alex and her friends and practising my german :)  It was so different from rushing from tourist attraction to tourist attration as I had done the last time I was here, but chilling with Alex, it felt so right, well overdue.  Alex's family could not have been any more hospitable.  They really treat me like their daughter...particularly my host mama who mothered me like nothing I've ever experienced! The food was insane!

A bit on the food…

Alex woke me up every morning (after letting me sleep in longer than her) with a hot chocolate, let me get myself together for 5mins (after waking up, it takes me 3mins or so to adjust to speaking/thinking german) and then would call me into the kitchen for a full bavarian breakfast of sausages (sometimes the tradtional weisswurst - white sausage), salami, ham, chesse, bretzels (very german) and an assortment of breads fresh from the bakery that morning. I couldn't think of a better way to start the day!  However, the prospect of obesity became a serious possibility especially because, breakfast happened to be the lightest meal of the day! Dinner was always early, they like to have it at 4.30pm here, what the????? The food varied throughout the week – usually something traditionally Bavarian like spaetzle, sausages and bread but also one night we went out to an all you can eat Mongolian restaurant on the lake Stanberg and another night, Alex and I went to an African food store in town and made African food like non-sweet fried bananas and a really slimy (but good!) vegetable and chicken dish. AND always served with beer and wine. The first night I was there, after over 40hours without sleeping, they somehow got me to have a half a litre of beer and 2 glasses of wine…and encouraged more! For the first week, I physically and mentally could not stay awake past 8pm on any night but now I am in Konstanz, I’m back to my regular pattern of staying up past 12 at night most nights.  One of my best discoveries thus far about Germany – good wine can be purchased for 1.69euros (around $2.40 nz)! You can imagine my delight J And of course (Erin!), I can not go without WOWING at the amazingness and variety of ice cream/gelato here. Mmmmmm J

Now a bit on the language….

The german language somehow came really easily, though some parts of the day I was always way more alert and ‘in the zone’ than others.  At first I thought it was just the special bond Alex and I had as ‘sisters’ (I feel like she can always understand me, no matter how wrong it is) but the more I have ended up speaking to random Germans (in some cases, spontaneously talking with randoms for hours), I’ve come to realise my german must be pretty good by now! Also, being able to understand basically everything was a pretty amazing feeling that I’ve never felt before.  I had my german language test today and to be honest I’m kind of bummed – not because I did badly, but because I did too well! In NZ I sought course approval for particular German language courses in hopes I would be good enough to take them.  Turns out, the course people won’t let me take them cos they are ‘too easy for my level’ and now I have to reapply to Canterbury for higher level courses..yay for more bureaucracy.  On a positive note, yay, I don’t suck at german! I have to say, opening a bank account and buying a cellphone completely in german all by myself and now using a phone completely in german have been some of my proudest moments yet!

Anyway, onwards to the fun times!

Sunday:

This was church day!!! Last time I was in Munich I had covered most of the churches I wanted to see there but of course, there are always more!!! With a map in hand, we scoped out a gorgeous rococo church called Asamkirche that was completed in 1746.  It has got to be one of the tinest but most intensely decorated churches I have ever had the pleasure of seeing.  Truly worth visiting! Then onwards to Saint Michaels Church which is the largest Renaissance church north of the alps (according to Wikipedia hehe).  It was completely different to the Asamkirche but still so beautiful in it’s bright and white simplicity and many many paintings along the walls and a fabulous altar (as all churches in Europe have). Next church…Heilig Geist Kirche, so beautiful! I hadn’t even heard of it so thank you to Alex’s mum for introducing me to this treasure with a wonderfully painted ceiling!  However, we did managed to get kicked out for loitering during a service ekkk! Ok now, the highlight of my day…climbing the ridiculously old (1294) church ‘Alter Peter’ with a ridiculous amount of stairs (92metres worth).  But the breathtaking view was well and truly worth it! Got a brilliant view over the whole of Munich including the very impressive old townhall, the main square, two of the most prominent churches in Munich (Frauenkirche and Theatinerkirche), the Olympic skytower and the BMW factory and museum.  Then went and did the tourist bit and joked around with those guys who dress up and get painted as statues and stand still THE WHOLE DAY, they fully impress me. Also randomly there was this Jewish American man playing a strange gigantic xylophone (like a wood instrument of some sort). Then onwards for a peek at Oktoberfest (though anyone who is german or pretending to be german, like me, call it ‘Wiesn’ which is the name of the big ground it is held on).  Saw some gorgeous horse and carts all dressed in bavarian gear (blue and white) carrying barrels of beer that go to the Wies’n. Sooooo many rides that are not for the faint hearted – CRAZY.  Abs so much food everwhere.  Pretty much did the rounds and planned what I wanted to do/see later in the week.  Great day!

Asam Kirche

Had to get these off google but:

Above: Heilig Geist Kirche

Below: St Michaels Church

Monday:

Shopping with Alex in town!!! I thought today I would spare Alex the history lesson (she had a bit of a church overload yesterday) and went shopping in the inner city. Bought a top and looked at all the awesome fruits and foods and flower decorations available at the market called Viktualienmarkt.  Did a bit of cooking with the family and spent the whole night drinking wine and yarning with the family J

Tuesday

Played some tennis at the courts with Alex and her trainer (the cutest and most unbelievably fit old man over the age of 70 I have ever ever met!).  They play on clay courts which I am so not used to but very much enjoy (they seem to be much slower).  I thought Alex was going to annihilate me but I didn’t completely suck thank God, but her forearm could thrash my forearm any time. Cooked the African food, had some wine (surprise surprise) and the neighbours came over for fun times and to meet me! Loving practising my german so much at this point and hilarious german tv! How I met your mother in german is very entertaining. 

Wednesday

Proper Oktoberfest day!!!!!

But just a note on the side first:  I took a full week and a half to get used to driving on/walking on the right hand-side.  Last time I was here it didn’t affect me one little bit but somehow this time, I grip the seat feeling like I’m somehow breaking the law.  One day I mistakenly thought Alexs mum was in the passengers seat sitting on the left while I was in the back seat and so I put my camera in front of her face to show her a photo only to realize when she shrieked that I almost caused an acciedent – SHE WAS DRIVING! Eekkk.  Also, Alex’s dog Tommy is adorable, he'd never forgive me if I didn’t mention him.

So Oktoberfest, went very traditional with the dress this time (yes nicky, as opposed to teaparty, erm hemm), trying to pretend to be a real german and borrowed a Dirndl (traditional Bavarian dress) from a family friend of Alex.  However I think I failed on looking german, Alex labelled me a ‘german pocahontas’.  However, sat next to some aussies whilst speaking german to the girls I was with and then they looked very surprised to here my kiwi voice turn to them and say in english ‘So, more aussies aye?’. Befriended them and taught them the ways of the Bavarians J

Went on a crazy big ride with Alex that flung us around up in the air (great view, briefly before they spun us again).  Had some Lebkuchen (kinda like gingerbread stuff) and then onwards into a big beer hall! Woooo! Fun times in the beers halls! Ok so the call the tents but they are like really ridiculously big halls with wooden floors, extreme decorations and themes. Soaked up the atmosphere, had a nice big 1 litre ‘Mass’ or ‘’Krug’ of beer, had some chicken and watched some Bavarian dancing whilst yarning with anyone around. Loved the lederhosen, beer, smells, songs (Ein Prosit, ein prosit, der Gemutlichkeit!!!), dancing, just it all really! The ‘Schottenhammel’ tent was defiantly the most raging and where we spent a good few hours of our night.  As we left I got to see Oktoberfest by night which was so pretty all lit up! Now and again a fight broke out which is always fun and then now and again we saw the medics carrying drunk people in comas out of the party…not so much fun.

Ok, I am now officially past my sugar high so you’ll just have to wait a lot longer to hear about where I’m actually living right now – THE BEAUTIFUL KONSTANZ.

Yes, I did warn you I ramble. If you have lasted this long reading this post, well done, I am truly very impressed. If not, good on ya having a life and all. Just kidding. LOVE YOU ALL heaps and heaps and heaps and HEAPS MORE. Hope all is well at home. Thanks for sending me facebook messages etc, it’s really great to hear from home.  Also, to anyone who wrote me something to read on the plane – you are awesome! You made me very happy!

Until next time, promise it won’t be long, I still have to finish Munich.

xox